email your MPtocall on them to support the campaign and Close the Loophole in the law.

At present only people such as teachers, care workers and youth justice workers are legally in a position of trust, meaning it is against the law for them to have sex with 16 or 17-year-olds that they supervise.

This means that if adults working in any other settings, such as sport, have sex with children aged 16 or 17 under their supervision, it is not currently a crime, even if the adult has a significant level of power, responsibility and influence over the child.

But no action has been taken, and the Ministry of Justice has since written to the NSPCC making clear that the Government believes laws on the age of consent and on non-consensual sexual activity provide adequate protection for 16 and 17 year olds who are preyed upon by adults who supervise them.

Through its Close the Loophole campaign, the NSPCC is lobbying government again to change the law and protect young people in sport, but they need your support.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:

“It is absolutely outrageous that the law protects children in the classroom, but not on the sports pitch, or in a whole host of other activities.

“Government promised to extend these laws to sports coaches, but we’ve yet to see action and I fear they are backtracking.

“Any extension of the law must apply to all adults working with young people. To keep children safe this loophole must be closed – it is not enough to simply make the loophole smaller.”

How does the loophole affect sport?

In the last 4 years, police in England and Wales have recorded 1,025 crimes of abuse of position of trust of a sexual nature across sectors.

Over the same 4-year period, there were 653 complaints of this nature made to local authorities. Out of over 40 applicable sectors that this loophole affects, around 33% of these complaints related to sport.

The NSPCC feels that to extend the law only to cover sports roles, would be a missed opportunity and still leave many children unprotected in other sectors.

The effect on young people

Megan*, an elite athlete, reported being targeted by her sports coach Will*, who was in his thirties and had been training her since she was 13 years old. When she turned 16, Megan says he began sending her sexual messages, before starting a sexual relationship with her when she was 17.

Need help dealing with a concern?

All concerns should be discussed with your club welfare officer (designated person for safeguarding at your club) and reported in accordance with your national governing body's (NGB) policy and procedures.